“We’re back up to pre-Covid numbers. The audiences have come back.”

Speaking is Shelley Brown, President and CEO, State Theatre Center for the Arts, Easton, where she has overseen 34 seasons.

Perhaps the most challenging season, or seasons, was after the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic shutdown of the arts world, and the whole wide world, long about the Ides of March, March 15, 2020.

Though the “Before Time” was more than four years ago, the knock-on effect of Covid continues today.

“When Covid happened, a whole group aged out. Covid was a hard stop. And then that whole start-up period. And people didn’t want to sit next to each other,” Brown reflects in an Aug. 23 interview.

“Other than that, we’re very grateful for some sort of normalcy,” says Brown.

The State Theatre is noted for bringing national tours of Broadway shows to the Lehigh Valley.

“Everybody’s really happy about the Broadway shows. We’ve been doing a lot more of the current titles. Those are very popular. All ages. Full houses. Wonderful to see,” Brown says.

The first national tour Broadway show for the 2024-2025 season at the State Theatre is “Tina: The Tina Turner Musical,” Oct. 1 and 2.

Other Broadway show national tours stopping at the State Theatre include “Hadestown,” Nov. 23, 24; “Dear Evan Hansen,” Jan. 7, 8, 2025, and “Mean Girls,“ April 4, 5, 2025.

“You’re competing with so many other venues to get these shows. Now we’re really confident with the right title that we can fill these shows,” says Brown.

“Last year, we did ‘The Book of Mormon’ for three shows and sold every seat in the house.

“You’ll find all ages. You’ll have a lot of people who know the show. They’ve seen it in New York. They’re very savvy.

“One thing that does my heart really good, now that we’ve been doing them for a long time, is that we often see Freddy kids coming to the shows.

“The show was nominated for an Emmy. It’s won three, 2004-2005; 2011 and 2020,” says Brown, who hosts the Freddys TV show.

The 22nd Freddys for musical theater in high schools in the Lehigh Valley and Warren County, N.J., was presented May 23 at the State Theatre, telecast live on 69 WFMZ-TV.

“The Freddys are a big thing. They’re so important to the kids. I had no idea what it would turn into. What I didn’t know is the community it would create in the kids. It’s a shot of adrenaline. We’re really, really proud of it,” Brown says.

Whatever is being presented on stage at the State creates its own atmosphere in the theater, which is on the National Register of Historic Places and in its present form dates to 1925.

“Every show’s different. Some of the shows are mayhem. The children’s shows. It’s fun mayhem.

“It’s a different mood with every show. Some of the rock shows. Some of them are there to say, “Goodbye’ to the week,” says Brown.

One of the more unusual events is “Unlock Your Superpower: An Evening with Lee Asher,” 6 p.m. Oct. 13. “It’s the way we do the Q&As. I do the interview on stage.

“We don’t do anything political anymore. People come to the theater to get away from politics.”

A big draw at the State Theatre are comedians.

These include: “Whose Live Anyway?,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 26; “Josh Wolf: High On Life Tour,” 8 p.m. Dec. 14; Andrew Dice Clay, 8 p.m. Feb. 15, and Colin Mochrie & Brad Sherwood: “Asking for Trouble,” 7:30 p.m. March 29.

“Funny Women of a Certain Age,” presented in March, sold well. The comedy show returns April 25, 2025.

“Bored Teachers: The Struggle Is Real! Comedy Tour” is at 3 p.m. Nov. 17. Last year’s performance sold out.

“I’m sure it was all teachers. It’s the first show in 33 years that I couldn’t get the audience to settle down for the curtain talk,” says Brown.

“They’re real teachers,” Brown says of “Bored Teachers,” adding, “They only go out on weekends.”

Brown credits her daughter Courtney for tipping her off to “Bored Teachers”:

“My daughter’s a teacher. I called my daughter. She said, ‘Book it.’ The agent told three other theaters to book it and they sold out.”

A tradition at the State Theatre is an Elvis tribute show. For the 2024-25 season, it’s “Blue Suede: The Premier Elvis Birthday Bash,” starring Scot Bruce and Mike Albert, 4 p.m. Feb. 2, 2025, in its final performance.

“When I first came to the State Theatre, I said I wanted to do an Elvis show and they kind of rolled their eyes,” Brown remembers.

“I hooked up with an agent and I thought it would be cool to have a young Elvis and a Vegas Elvis. She sent me VHS tapes. There were all kinds of Elvises. And I chose Scot Bruce and Mike Albert.

“I premiered it at the State Theatre. And it went all over the United States. We played it on and off. Guess what? They’re going to retire. I think we should do “the” last show.

“The younger Elvis even has a Martin Guitar named after him. For the 20th year, she [the agent] sent me a black robe with leopard lining. It’s going to be a sweet moment. They love us. We go way back.

“Mike will sign the scarves. They’re retiring the show. The first one was at the State and the last one was at the State.”

Elvis may have left the building come February, but the State Theatre has plenty of other headliners, including first-time State headliners Air Supply, 7:30 p.m. Sept. 28; Three Dog Night, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 7, and Gary Puckett & The Union Gap. 7:30 p.m. Nov. 8.

Among other concerts: NeedtoBreathe: “The Caves World Tour,” 7 p.m. Oct. 20; Straight No Chaser: “Top Shelf Tour,” 3 p.m. and 7 p.m. Dec. 7, and Little River Band, 7:30 p.m. Feb. 22, 2025.

“They’re selling extremely well,” observes Brown of the headliner concerts.

Other concerts of interest:

For Swifties, there’s “Let’s Sing Taylor,’ with a live band, 7:30 p.m. Nov. 15.

The Craig Thatcher Band is back with “The Music of Tom Petty,” 7:30 p.m. March 22, 2025.

Also back is Red Hot Chilli Pipers, with Liberty High School Grenadier Pipes & Drums, 7:30 p.m. March 6, 2025.

The State Theatre presents what Brown terms “the tried and true,” such as ballet: “Swan Lake,” The State Ballet Theatre of Ukraine, 2 p.m. Nov. 9; ”Nutcracker: Magical Christmas Ballet,” 7 p.m. Dec. 6, and “The Sleeping Beauty: A Timeless Masterpiece of Love and Beauty,” The State Ballet Theater of Ukraine, 7:30 p.m. Jan. 17, 2025. “Ballet has become increasingly popular,” says Brown.

The tried-and-true also includes holiday seasons bookings: “The Vampire Circus,” 7:30 p.m. Oct. 10; “Haunted Illusions Starring David Caserta,” 4 p.m. Oct. 27; “CAT Country Jingle Jam,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 14; “Michael W. Smith: Every Christmas,” 7:30 p.m. Nov. 21; “Mannheim Steamroller Christmas,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 5, and “The Wizards of Winter,” 4 p.m. Dec. 22.

“Christmas in the Air,” 7:30 p.m. Dec. 20, is “a holiday celebration,” says Brown. “I was looking for a show that was like Radio City Music Hall.”

Others that are tried and true: “Puppy Pals Live,” 3 p.m. Sept. 29; “Bluey’s Big Play,” 6 p.m. Oct. 17, and “Riverdance 30: A New Generation,” 7:30 p.m. March 27.

“We’ll be adding shows as the season goes on,” says Brown.

Presenting shows at the State Theatre, as with most everything, has seen cost increases.

“Everything in theater world is more expensive. We’re a road house, a presenting theater. Everything involved in touring has gone up. Transportation, buses, trucks, fuel, food, hotels, motels. Anything involving tour labor is up. Advertising is up. It’s not just us. It’s every business.

“We have regular bookers, who have associations with us for years. We deal with really established promoters.

“When they walk in and see a sold-out show for Ringo Starr. It’s $250 a ticket. And they think we must be making a lot of money. We’re not. We’re getting a percentage.

“We take it very seriously. Almost every show, we hope we’re going to sell tickets. We’re a nonprofit. We rarely, rarely have a profit per se.

“The theater’s in great shape. Easton’s in great shape. Easton’s booming.

“To survive Covid. That was the worst thing ever for everybody. It showed what would not be there. People really appreciate it,” says Brown of the State Theatre.

Information: https://statetheatre.org/